Typewriting machine



-fifaiasifeV I @hill HARRY BATES, 0F NEW YORK, kN. Y., ASSIGNOR TO -UNDERWGG TYPE Specification of Letters Patent.

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Patented Aeg. ee, 1922.

Application 'filed February 25, 1919. Serial No. 279,121.

To all iii/1.0m t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HARRY Barns, a citizen of the United States, residing inhlew York city, in the county ot' New York and Stater of New York, have invented certain new and` useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting and other similarv machines producing written work, and is herein disclosed as applied to an Underwood typewriting machine.

Inwriting machines like the Underwood typewriting machine and others, which are known as visible writers, the typist has the great advantage of seeing the written work, but in oiices where other people pass neary the machine, the other'people can make use of the fact that the writing is visible, with the result that Athe writing ,which4 may be conidential or semi-confidential, is made public property. According tothe present invention, the typewriting or other machine may be provided with a device which is adapted to keep much, or substantially all,

of the writing covered, thus enabling the typist to leave the machine with written matterin it, assured that the writing will remain covered, unless the'covering device is deliberately removed.

The device may advantageously take the form of a light flexible sheet, which is sup-` ported in front of the platen inksuch a man ner that it stands clear of the-printing ribloon and the swinging type-bars, and 'falls rearwardly over the printed sheet. The cover may be detachablyinounted in a pair :of clips which hold it just above the writing line, with the result that the last line` or two of writing is visible to the typist while seated at the machine, but invisible to anyone whose' eyes are much abovethe level of the platen.

The `clips may be swingable upon the cai` riage, and normally caught' down to the above-described position, but vadapted 'to be released by depression of a fingerpiece l with the result'that the cover is swung clear of the written mattei'. -li desired, there may be provided two catching points, so that the swinging cover may be 'caught at an inter` mediate point, so that a number of linesgjust written are in sight of the typist, but most or all of the rest of the writing is concealed from the eyes of anyone 'standing up.

If the cover takes the form of ak sheet 'of light pressboa-rd or heavy ledger-paper, the support for the clips maybe very light, and may lie along the sides of the carriage, thus being out of the' way, when the concealing sheet is detached, and adding only ak negli-y gible weight to 'the 'carriagef 'The device is herein shown as attached to the carriage by screws threaded into they usual screw-holes for holding the cover-` plates of the shift-frame in place, thus permitting any person of ordinary skill to attach it tor existing machines.

@ther features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

.Figure l, is a fragmentary, perspective view of an Underwood typewriting machine a n l n l 7 showing the invention as applied thereto and as covering all butl the line actually at chinegthe revoluble platen l is fast to an j axle 2, Journaled in the ends 3 and 4 of a shift-frame 5, which is shiftable: in the car riage k(5; Whenever onek of the usual characterkeys (iiot'shown), is depressed, it car#y ities down .its key-lever (not shown), to' swing its type-bar 7 upwardly and rearwardly, causing its type 8' to print. upon ay work-sheet `9 at the front of the platenl,l and'curved around it." The type prints WRITER COM- i PARTY, 03F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPGRL'TXON 01T' DELAWARE. i

through a ribbon (not shown),'in`the usual ribbon-carrier (not shown), the ribbonbeing drawn 'from andr wound upon spools (not shown), at each vside 'of the machine. `The printing point is justatthe upper edge of the usual wing-scales l0, and'theplaten `1 is rotated by the usual line-space-lever ll to i advance the work line afterline to theprinting line. The work-sheet is usually held close to the platen and curved rearwardly over the top of it by paper-lingers 12, which include offset front extensions 13, carrying front rolls 14:, to extend over and bear upon the edges of the work-sheet, and which are slidable along a rear transverse rod 15, by

which the fingers 12 are supported and aroundv which they may be swung. Thus the lines of writing upon the work-sheet lie above the wing-scales, and, when many are written, lie nearly horizontal across the carriage, asthe work-sheetbends backward and sometimes lies upon the upper edge of the usual paper-table 16.

To conceal these written lines, the structure here disclosed provides a concealing sheet 17, which is adapted to be clipped into a clip 18 near each end of the carriage. lVhile the `concealing sheet 17 may be any suitable sheet, it is advantageously made ot a sheet nearly as stiff` as heavy iledgerpaper, and `rather dark in color to make it opaque and less likely to show dirt marks, as from handling. 1t may bear any suitable printing, as advertising matter` or a legend of reproof to the onlooker, such as Dont look at these private letters. This means you. r1`he clips 1S are advantageously the front ends or are mounted on the `)front ends 19 of rock arms 20, fast to a bail or rock shaft21, adapted to revolve within the usual roll top 22 of the paper-table 16and are so located that they will hold the concealing sheet. 17 just clear of the rolls 14 and one or two line-spaces above the ,wing-scales 10, thus permitting the typist to easily read the last line or two of Awriting .while seated `before the machine, although the writing is Wholly concealed from any one whose eyes are higher up. The clips 18 may be in the form of flat springs23 fast to and lying against the front faces of the ends 19. The springs are advantageously extensions of small plates 24, riveted to the backs oi the arms 20, and the heads of the rivets on the front may serve as bosses to yincrease the grip of the springs on the concealing sheet.

rlhe bail or shaft 21 may be journaled on brackets held by screws 25, passing through the usual `screw-holes in the `top plates 26 at the end of the shift-frame, and may be under tension of a spring 27, coiled around it and fast to a collar 28 on it, and tending `to swing it against a bracket-stop 29 fast on the bracket 30, said latter stop forming an anchorage for the spring. The hubs 31,'by which the arms are fast to the shaft of the bail, may form thrust bearings for the ends of the shaft, and screws 32 threaded into the shaft may hold the short projecting ends of the shaft against slipping out of the brackets 30. 1f the bracket 30 is held in place by a single screw 25, it may be held against turning by a lug 33 lying within the shift-trame, and the screw may be identical with the usual screw which holds the cover-plate upon the shift-frame end, or only slightly longer.

To hold the coveringsheet against being swung away from Covering position by the spring 27, a latch Bet may automatically catch the arm down when drawn to covering position, said latch being in the torm ot a one-way catch pivoted at 35 upon the righthand arm 20, and normally pressed into position by a spring 3G to catch under a lug 37 upon an extension 8S of the bracket 30. Villen the arm is depressed, a cam iliacc 39 on the catch causes the lug to cam it rearwardly until below the lug 37, and then the spring 36 springs it to eii'ective position. T o limit the throw oi the catch 3/1, it may include a slot 10 embracing a pin 4-1 fast on the arm. l

To release the catch 34. to permit the spring 27 to carry the 'covering-sheet up, a finger-piece l2 may be pivoted at 4:3 upon a lug 4:4, depending from the extension 38, the linger-piece being in the forni of a lever and having a cam end 15 adapted to strike the cam iace 39 otl the catch when the lingerpiece /12 is depressed, thereby carrying the catch 34 clear ot the lug 37 and allowing the spring 27 to lift the covering-sheet. The finger-piece may be normally rdrawn to in effective position by a spring to lie against an arresting lug 47 tast on the extension, and is arrested at the end oi its throw Aby striking the under side of the lug.

It itis desired to set the covering-sheet to permit more than the one or two lines of writing to be visible to ythe typist, means may be provided to arrest Lthe arm at a second position (Figure 5), slightly above the position described above. ture shown, this secondary arresting may be effected by a one-way catch slidable on the extension, and adapted to catch over a lug on the arm. This catch may be in the torni of a slidable bolt 50 adapted to slide inthe ears 51 of a small bracket 52 'fast 0n the extension, and normally pressed by a spring 53 encircling the bolt, so as to intercept the lug 19. The bolt will not interfere with the drawing down of the arm. since it is provided with a cam face 54 adapted to `permit the lug 49 to cam it out or the way during the descent of the arm.r The bolt has its throw limited by the boss ot the finger.- piece 57 for handling it, and by va small lug 56 adapted to strike the ear in which it slides.

Since the Underwood typewriting machine, the ends of the platen stand well clear of the ends ot the shift-frame, there is ample room for the arms 2O to descend between the platen and the ends of the traine, and yet permit .the arms 2O to clear the usual `linespace-control-lever 58 and its nger-piece.

1n the struc? It will be noted that the ends 19 ofthe arms, on which the clips 18 are mounted, extend inwardly quite a distance yparallel to the face of the platen, and that the'downwardthrow of the arms is arrested by the rod 15-] The brackety 29 may arrest thearms 2O at such a point that the covering-sheet 'i7 falls behind the carriage, and t-hus is out of the way in adjusting work-sheets.

Variations may scope of the invention,and portions .of the improvements may beused without others.

.I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim: v

1.In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and a revoluble platen therein, of a flexible device adapted to screen the part of laworln.

sheet above the printing point on the platen, and' so positioned as to permit the typist seated at the machine to read the written line at the printing point, amounting for said device pivoted at the. rear ofthe carriage, a spring normally tending to swing the device clear of the carriage on its mounting to ineffective position, and detaining means adapted to hold the device against said spring in either of two screening positions to permit the typist to have a more or a less extended View of the written worksheet.

2. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and a revoluble platen therein, of a shaft journaled in said carriage, rock arms comprising clips fast to said shaft adapted to support a sheet to screen the part of a worksheet above the printing line of the platen, a spring normally tending to swing said shaft to raise said clips and swing the screening sheet to ineffective position, and detaining means to hold the shaft against the tension of the spring in either of two other positions to screen more or less of the work-sheet.

3. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and a revoluble platen therein, of a shaft `iournaled in said carriage, roch arms comprising clips fast 'to said shaft adapted to support a sheet to screen the part of a worksheet above the printing line of the platen, a spring normally tending to swing said shaft to raise said clips and iswing the screening sheet to ineffective position, means to hold the shaft against the tension of 'the spring in either of two other positions yto screen more or less of the work-sheet, and devices whereby the shaft, when once released, is arrested at the second position.

Ll. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and a revoluble platen therein, of a shaft journaled at the rear of the carriage, a rock arm at each end of the platen fast upon said shaft, a clip upon each arm adapted to beresorted to within the arm at each end of the platen fast upon said shaft, a clip upon each arm adapted to hold a screening sheet to conceal the lineswritten upon -a work-sheet, a spring tending to swing said arms upwardly and rearwardly to carry the screening sheet to ineffective position behind the carriage, and holding means adapted to` hold the arms in :either of two other positions to screen more or less ofthe worksheet. f

v6. In a front-strike ty'pewritingk machine, vthe combination with fa travelingcarriager and a revoluble platen'therein, ofa pair of clips, one at each end of the platen, a iiexible screening sheet adapted to fall backwardly from said clips to conceal lines written upon -a work-sheet passed around the platen, and means for supporting said clips in a plurality of positions to screen more or less of the written work-sheet and also to carry the screening sheet clear of the work-sheet.

7. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and a revoluble platen therein, of a rock shaft journaled at the rear of the carriage, a rock arm at each end of the platen fast upon said' shaft, clip upon each arm adapted to de'tachably khold the edges of a screennig sheet to enable it to conceal the lines written upon a work-sheet, a spring tendingl to swing said arms upwardly and rearwardly to carry the screening sheet behind the carriage, a catch adapted kto hold the arms down to lreep the screening sheet effective, and a stop for arresting the arms either limit of their throw.

8. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage, of a bail journaled in said carriage, adapted to hold a screening sheet, aspring normally turning said bail to `carry the screening sheet out of the way of the typist, a lug for holding said screening ysheet in one position, a finger-piece for releasing said lug, a second lug for holding said screening sheet in another position, and a second finger-piece for operating said second lug.

9,. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and a rotatable platen therein, of a frame including a paper-table and having ends in which said platen is `iournaled, brackets adapted to be fastened upon said ends, a rock shaft journaled in said brackets behind iioy CII

said table, u flexible screening sheet adapted to be uttnched to said rock shaft to be swung behind the table, und :i device ineluding; :t releasing; linger-piece for holding seid sheet in effective position.

l0. ln a front-strike typewi'iting machine, thencombinution with e. traveling` carriage and a rock-shaft adapted to be detaehnbly mounted therein, of rock aims comprising clips tust upon said shaft, :i flexible screening sheet detachably held in said clips to bend beek over n Work-sheet, u spring non mallyftending to curi-y said screening sheet out of thewvay of the typist to tell down ut the buck of the carriage, and zt device for locking;- it in effective screening' position.

1l. ln u front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with :t traveling' Carriage und :t i'ock slmlft adapted to be detechabiy mounted therein, of' ibook arms comprising clips fast upon said Shaft, :i flexible soreening` sheet detnchably held in said clips to bend beek overk :i Work-sheet, a spring no1- molly tendingto carry'sa-id screening sheet out of the Way of the typistto fallvdown at the buck of the carriage, end means foi' looking it in either` of tWo effective screening positions.

12. In a fronbstrike typewriting machine, the Combination with at traveling carriage comprising a paper-table, ol :iiock arm near each end of the carriage, a rock shaft behind seid table to which Said arms are fast, a turned-up spring upon eaehroekarm adapted to detachably hold a screening sheet to covei` a Written Work-sheet remaining in said carriage, and bearings adapted to be detnehebly fastened on the caria-ge and upon which said rook shaft is journaled to permit the seieening,` sheet to be swung to ineffective position behind the table.

HARRY BATES.

Witnesses Rosn GERSTEIN, EDITH B. LIBBEY. 

